


Nighttime

by butimnotinthefandom



Series: VLD One Shots [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: "Innocent" Shallura Massage, Bisexual Lance, Coran Mention - Freeform, Domestic, F/M, Feels, Flirting, Fluff, Gay Keith, Hunk mention - Freeform, Keith Mentions, Love, M/M, Romance, Season 3 Spoilers, bi lance, klangst, shiro's pov, vld
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-11
Updated: 2017-08-11
Packaged: 2018-12-13 21:18:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11768598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butimnotinthefandom/pseuds/butimnotinthefandom
Summary: Shiro sees to his crew and spends some time alone with Allura.





	Nighttime

**Author's Note:**

> Official Good Faith Disclaimer: This story is a noncanonical fan fiction of Voltron Legendary Defender, which belongs to DreamWorks Animation LLC. ™ World Events Productions LLC. I claim no ownership to copyrighted characters or universes portrayed herein and make no financial gains from this work. Please don’t sue me, this is the primary and most effective coping mechanism I have to deal with crippling Depression and Anxiety. The express purpose of this story is merely for the fan enjoyment of myself and others. I thank the production team, cast, crew, DreamWorks, World Events, and Netflix for their contributions to the entertainment industry and our lives through the official release of Voltron Legendary Defender.
> 
> Unofficial Good Faith Disclaimer: Any fanon references within this story are made with complete respect and homage to both the appropriate fandoms as a whole and the original individuals who shared ideas, jokes, and commentary. Stay fanatical, my brethren.
> 
> This story started out as a chaptered series but, alas, the wind has left my sails for that. I’ve decided to post parts of it as one-shots so here you go.
> 
> In this story, Allura is in the human equivalent of her early twenties.
> 
> Official thanks to my favorite beta reader, [AmbitiousSkychild](http://archiveofourown.org/users/AmbitiousSkychild).

The lights of the castleship began to dim in the scheduled simulation of night.  Almost everyone had gone to bed, or at least gotten ready to, and the familiar routine of the evening was in full swing.  Shiro made his way down the long corridor to where he knew he’d find the littlest paladin still consumed with her work.  She’d taken to late nights and bitter, sleep-deprived mornings lately and, too often, spent the entire night in her little tech lab.  They would find her there in the morning, hunched over her workspace or curled up on the floor in a corner.  If she kept it up much longer, she was going to break.

The door  _ hissed _ open for him and, sure enough, the hardworking Green Paladin was right where he expected her to be, “Hey, Pidge?  Why don’t you call it a night?”

“I’m almost done here.”  The petite teenager waved her hand over her shoulder in a dismissive motion.  Shiro couldn’t help but smile even as he breathed out a sigh.

“Third time this week, Pidge.  You need to sleep in a real bed occasionally.”

“I know, I know.  I just want to finish this one thing and I’ll be off to bed.”

“Pidge,” he said with a slight warning in his voice, “I’m serious.”  Her eyes never looked away from the screen but she found it within herself to smirk.

“Don’t worry, Space Dad.”  Her voice dripped with pointed sarcasm, “I’ll be done in about ten minutes - well, dobashes to be more precise.  Twenty tops.  Promise.”

Shiro snorted, “In that case, Space Daughter, see that you brush your teeth, too.”

“Will do.”  She looked over her shoulder for a moment, “G’night, Shiro.  It’s good to have you back.”

“It’s good to be back.”

He smiled as he made his way down the corridor away from the stubborn child who, he was sure, was going to fall asleep right where she was.  He climbed onto the gravity platform at the end of the long hall and felt it begin to descend.

It was good to be back.

His time away from his crew hadn’t been a pleasant experience but he’d taken away several things - chief of which was a tremendous renewal to the sense of where he belonged:  Right with them, in defense of the universe.

He passed by a normally empty nook of the castle that was usually easy enough to ignore.  It was a small observation deck full of stars overhead and, tonight, occupied by one lanky teenager in an olive green jacket.  He was hunched over on one of the benches along the wall with arms folded over his middle.

“You okay?” Shiro nodded to Lance as he passed, his stroll slowing as he prepared himself to take on the role of counselor.  The boy muttered sulky, unintelligible somethings and turned away.  Shiro sighed and took a seat next to him, “That’s a ‘no.’”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Keith is an asshole!”  Lance flailed his limbs in frustration for a second, “He can’t take a joke or an apology!  Fucking pick one, dickwad!”

“Keith is,” Shiro sighed again and clapped a hand to the young man’s tense shoulder, “he’s a private person.  I’m surprised he stayed at all when the flirting started.”

“It’s just a stupid game!”  His eyes flashed for a moment before another look crossed his features.  Shiro could tell the cogs of his mind were turning but he wasn’t going to say whatever it was he’d just admitted to himself.  “He’s still an asshole.”

“Just give him space.”

“We’re in space!  How much more can he need?”

Shiro paused at the way he’d said it.   _ Oh.  Oh, this is going to get interesting. _  He felt like he should say something else but there weren’t words that wouldn’t let on he’d just gleaned what neither Lance or Keith wouldn’t admit to.  He sighed, “You know what I mean.”

His shoulders fell, “I know.”

“You good?”

“No,” Lance stood and stretched, “but I’m tired so close enough.  I’m glad you’re back.”

Shiro smiled as the sour young man put on a resignedly pleasant air and turned to leave, apparently, without another word.  He chuckled, “Goodnight, Lance.”

“Night.”  He waved over his shoulder and disappeared down the hallway.

_ Five down. _  Shiro climbed to his full height and resumed his eventual journey back toward his own room.  He’d seen Hunk and Keith turn in for the night when he’d changed into his pajamas and gone back out to see to Pidge.  Coran was settled on the bridge for the nightshift.  Now that Lance was somewhat sorted, that left one and he thought he had a pretty good idea of where to find her.

Allura had been off lately, since shortly before they’d set off from the last planet, and he wanted to check on her.  She had a longstanding habit of getting ready for bed, silky pink nightgown and all, and finding her way to the largest observation deck on the ship.  They’d spent long hours there together, watching the stars and talking over Nunvill or leftover dessert or simply each other’s company.  They’d even fallen asleep there a couple of times, leaned together on the couch.  The time alone with her was precious, therapeutic and calming and, very occasionally, he felt that it helped soothe away some of his nightmares.

He found her exactly where he thought he would, beautifully bathed in starlight:  Same striped pink and blue silks as normal, silver hair pinned high on her head, and a weak feeling in his knees.  Tonight, however, she wasn’t just admiring the view.  She was pacing.

“Hey,” his voice was quiet and calm but she jumped and looked towards him, startled.

“Oh.”

“Sorry.”

“No, no, I’m just trying to walk off some -” she stuttered in search for the right words, “some -” she gave up with a disgruntled scoff.  “Well, I’m not sure what it is but I don’t like it.”  He chuckled and moved closer to her.

“Want some company?”

She looked up with large, peering blue eyes and inhaled, “That might help.”  She tried to smile but, apparently, didn’t feel like it because she scoffed again and abruptly turned to face the looming transparent wall beside her.

Allura’s shoulders were hunched ever so slightly towards her ears, her back curled, and her arms crossed.  She had a scowl plastered across her face, even as she stared out at the unfathomable beauty of deep space.  Shiro moved closer behind her; he slipped his hands to the bare brown skin at the base of her neck and began to gently knead.

“What are you doing?”  Her voice held a certain type of noncommittal apprehension, like she should stop him but didn’t want to, that tingled in his stomach.

“It’s called a massage, Princess, and it’s just supposed to help you relax.  You’ve been -” Shiro hesitated, “stressed.”  A long sigh sounded from the woman as the pointed tips of her ears twitched - an adorable movement.  She pinched the bridge of her nose, a mannerism the two Alteans had adopted from humans since their arrival.

“I do not know what has gotten into me lately.  Ooh, there -” her voice trailed off into a luscious groan that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.  He dug his thumbs into the same spot several more times and felt her tension slowly ebb away as he worked.  “I have been annoyed at everything.  I yelled at Hunk this morning for, well, I do not even remember what for but I remember it was not something worth yelling about.”

“Are you worried about something?”

“No!  That is the thing.  I am not anxious, just,” she shook her head, “angry - at everything and nothing and I am not sure why.  Honestly, it has been exhausting.  And I know it has not been easy on any of you - ooh,” another sound poured from her lips and tore through Shiro’s body.  He slipped his touch from her neck to her shoulders and kept chipping away at the burdens she held there.  “Am I failing under pressure?  There is not even pressure right now!  We are going from one diplomatic mission to the next!”

“Diplomacy has pressure, Princess, you - better than anyone here - know that.  Even though we’re not in the middle of a battle at this moment, we are in the middle of a war and that takes a toll.  You’ve been through a lot.  All of us have but you and Coran lost more than I can imagine.  A little anger isn’t unexpected:  It’s part of the grieving process.  Everyone gets on edge sometimes.”

“Maybe that is it?”

“Hunk is one of the most understanding guys I know.  He can see you’re having a hard time right now and he’s not going to hold it against you.”  He chuckled, “Everyone occasionally loses their temper at inopportune or inexplicable moments - you, me, everyone.”

“Mm?  What is the unshakeable Shiro’s downfall?”

“Galra prisons.”  She looked over her shoulder with concern that took his breath away.  He cleared his throat and looked away, “And, you know, Slav in general.”  They laughed together and relief washed over him that the seriousness of the moment had ebbed away much like the tightness of her shoulders.  He slowed the dance of his fingers across her body.  “Whatever this is, I’m sure it will pass.”

“You helped - but, then, you always do.”  Allura knit her hands together in front of her body and sighed peacefully as she leaned back into his arms.  His hands naturally slipped over her shoulders as she moved and came to rest stretched across her collarbones as he caught her.  A tiny, contented moan escaped her, so quick he might have been able to miss it if it hadn’t struck lightning down his spine.

He wanted to kiss her.  He wanted to spin her around to face him, press her against the glass, and kiss her until she couldn’t breathe.  He also knew that was one of the dumbest things he could possibly do this late at night, tired and alone with her.  The urge to run, go somewhere she would never be able to see the blush creeping up his neck and hide also streaked through his mind.  He swallowed hard and remained there on the observation deck with her enveloped in his grasp.

They stood together and wordlessly watched the passing stars.  Outside was alive with hues of vivid deep purples and pinks mingled together against the speckled blackness of space in a glorious scene of beauty and awe.  He felt himself relax into her like she was in him and tightened his grasp, content with life.

“Shiro, I -” her voice wavered for a moment before she turned in his arms and brought her cheek to rest on his chest.  He felt reality crack in two.  “I am glad you’re back.  Thank you for being here.”

“There’s really not any other place I’d rather be.”  He slipped his right arm lower on her back and brought his human hand to rest on the base of her neck.  It was all he wanted in life:  Her in his arms, staring at the stars.

**Author's Note:**

> My favorite line in this chapter was, “‘In that case, Space Daughter, see that you brush your teeth, too.’” Feel free to stroke my ego and let me know your favorite line(s) in the comments.


End file.
